Why equality, diversity and inclusion matter

Healthwatch across West Yorkshire and Healthwatch North Yorkshire carried out seven focus groups during summer 2024 to help inform the development of a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy for health and care services across West Yorkshire. A total of 46 people took part, including both community members and professionals. Participants agreed that equality is about achieving fair outcomes rather than treating everyone the same, and stressed the importance of designing services around the needs of diverse communities rather than assumptions about what people need. 

A major theme was the need for accessible communication and person-centred care. Participants highlighted ongoing failures to meet the Accessible Information Standard, difficulties accessing interpreters, inaccessible appointment systems and the continued use of complex language and medical jargon. People wanted more personalised support, greater recognition of individual circumstances and more flexibility in how services communicate and deliver care. They also stressed that services should work harder to understand the whole person rather than focusing only on diagnoses or symptoms. 

Participants also emphasised the importance of diversity in the workforce, culturally competent care and making services feel welcoming. Many felt that seeing staff from similar backgrounds improved trust and understanding, while others reported experiences of stereotyping, assumptions and a lack of cultural awareness. There were calls for better staff training, more opportunities for people from diverse communities to progress into leadership roles and greater involvement of people with lived experience in recruitment, service design and decision-making. 

The report concluded that the future EDI strategy should be focused on practical action and accountability. Key priorities included embedding accessible communication, improving cultural competence, investing in early intervention and preventative care, involving communities in service design, increasing workforce diversity and ensuring underrepresented voices continue to be heard. Participants stressed that people need to see tangible improvements resulting from their involvement and feedback if trust in the process is to be maintained.